Client: T21 Tigerprint

Background

T21 Tigerprint, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, is responsible for the design and production of Marks and Spencer's' own brand greetings cards and associated gift products, and has worked with Bartuf for several years.

T21, along with M&S, was keen to introduce Augmented Reality technology to its customers and briefed Bartuf for a trial project.

Brief

  • To design a free-standing unit to showcase new Augmented Reality technology, applied to greetings cards and a soft toy.
  • Trial project for ten units to be installed in Marks and Spencer stores around the UK.
  • Combination of units required - some to house a laptop computer to enable customers to try out the technology; others to include a video display screen to demonstrate the AR system. All ten to incorporate a range of six greetings cards and a soft toy.

Solution

The revolutionary Augmented Reality technology allows the recipient of the card to view a 3D animated feature via a web cam. The AR display units for T21 therefore needed to be impactful as well as practical, in order to allow the new products to stand out and to enable customers to easily interact with the technology.

The design team at Bartuf Systems produced a 1.7m high, 60cm wide free-standing unit on castors, allowing it to be effortlessly manoeuvred into the most suitable and visible position in store.

The metal unit incorporated three acrylic card shelves to accommodate the range of six large AR cards plus a sloped higher level shelf to hold the laptop and allow customers to examine the products more closely. There is also a floor level shelf to display the soft toys.

Outcome

Units were installed by the Bartuf Solution Team in Larger Marks & Spencer stores throughout the UK and Ireland.

A Senior Manager from T21 commented:

"Augmented reality is changing the way we view the world - or at least the way its users see the world. The first launch of products within M&S will allow Tigerprint to create a solid platform of understanding, which will enable us as a business to provide fantastic AR experiences to the M&S business as a whole.

"Bartuf Systems has played a key part in the development of the launch and I'm sure this will continue for many years to come."